Closure means



Oct. 26, 1937.

J. BAZELEY cnosuns mamas Filed April 11, 1935 Patented Oct. 26, 1937 or to National Malleable and "Steel Castings Company, Cleveland, OhioI a corporation of Ohio Application April 11, 1935, Serial No. 15,777

This invention relates to a novel construction ofclosure means for closing a hole in a carcoupler and more particularly to a closure means which is adapted for application to holes of 5 varying sizes.

, It has been customary to close top openings in car-coupler heads of certain types, which have been designed so that access to the locking member of the coupler may be had from underneath, by means of caps, such as described in the patent to Bazeley No. 975,926.

While such caps were satisfactory for most purposes, it was found that in some cases where the hole size varied the caps failed or ruptured 5 when driven into place. For example, if the holes were somewhat smaller than normal the lugs of the cap had a tendency to shear off where they joined the top portion. Similarly, if the holes were somewhat larger than usual an undue 20 amount of stress was put on the reinforcing ribs and they tended to crack or rupture.

An object of my invention is to overcome these dimculties. Further objects will be apparent from the detailed description of one embodiment.

25 of my invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional view, along the line l-l of Figure 2, of a cap embodying my invention, the cap being shown in position to close a hole but before it has been expanded or driven into 30 place.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the cap.

Figure 3 is a view'similar to Figure 1, in which the cap is driven into a hole smaller than average.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l in which 35 a cap is driven into a hole larger than average.

In the drawing like reference characters indicate similar parts.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, numeral 2 indicates a portion of a car coupler or similar device having a hole 3 therein to be closed by my cap. The cap is preferably made as an integral piece of some -malleable metal and has an arched or crowned 5 top portion 4, depending lugs 5, and reinforcing 4 ribs 8 extending inwardly from said lugs. The walls of the hole 3 are usually slightly diverging downwardly but my cap is eminently suited for closing a hole having straight side walls. The

, lugs are preferably tapered to give the maxi- 0 mum strength at their juncture with the top 4, being thus better able to withstand any shearing action which may occur at this point. As illustrated in Figure 3 the main point of stress on 5 these lugs occurs somewhere near the point I 5 when the cap is driven into a hole smaller than usual. The particular shape of the ribs 8, by providing a bulge or projecting portion 9, is designed to further strengthen the lugs at their tops thus affording maximum resistance to shearing thereof, the said lugs being preferably spaced 5 'apart as indicated at ID.

The strengthening ribs 8 extend inwardly from each lug toward the center but stop short of the center as shown at l I, leaving this central portion of the cap without any depending members oh 10 its under side. When a cap is hammered into a hole larger than usual (Fig. 4) the lugs 5 are expanded anextra amount pulling the integral reinforcing ribs with them. The cut away portion ll thus acts to prevent the formation of excessive'strain on these ribs which might lead to cracking or failure. This thinner central portion of the top of my cap also takes some of the strain from the lugs when the cap is driven in a hole smaller than usual, since this central portion is adapted to bend inwardly under blows to permit the lugs and ribs to approach each other. In the former type of cap where the ribs extended into and across the center, a portion of heavy cross-section was thus formed which caused trouble during casting. That is, this portion of the casting would be the last to solidify and internal casting strains would be set up therein which could not be entirely removed even by subsequent annealing. By my improved construction all partssubiect to bending may be of substantially uniform cross section resulting in greater ease of casting and elimination of internal strains.

My improved cap also has a substantially uniform cross-section along the axes AA and BB which will bend to a greater degree than in previous constructions. V

It is readily apparent therefore that by my invention, a cap of greater flexibility is produced which is particularly adapted for use .in a hole larger than usual.

Although illustrated in Figure 2 as. partly circular and partly square, the outline of my cap may be .entirely circular or entirely square, or of any other desired configuration.

The lugs of the cap are inserted in the hole to be closed and the top is then struck with a hammer expanding the lugsagainst the retaining walls of the hole and somewhat flattening the top, depending upon" the size of the hole and cap. A snug flt of the closure member with a minimum amount of metal projecting upon the surface of the car coupler is thereby insured without the danger of setting up excessive strain within the cap which might cause its cracking.

The cap can also be easily removed by striking it from below. It is, 0! course, capable of 5 manufacture at low cost and capable oi being quickly and easily handled.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the 10 use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the ieatures shown and deby inwardly extending ribs which extend only part way to the center of the top portion.

. ARTHUR J. BAZELEY.

DISQLAIMEYR 2,097,173.Arthur J. Bazeley, Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Disclaimer filed asslgnee, Nattonal Malleable and Hereby disclaims from the claim of except one which is benda dated October 26, 1937.

closure means des1gnated A-A and BB in lin CLOSURE MEANS. Patent December 31, 1937, by the Steel Castings Company.

the above identified Letters Patent any 36 f blle a10121g intersecting axes, such as those e o co umn through spaces between the projections and ribs i [Qfiicial Gazette January 25, 1988.]

e 1, of said patent, extending without the danger of setting up excessive strain within the cap which might cause its cracking.

The cap can also be easily removed by striking it from below. It is, 0! course, capable of 5 manufacture at low cost and capable oi being quickly and easily handled.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the 10 use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the ieatures shown and deby inwardly extending ribs which extend only part way to the center of the top portion.

. ARTHUR J. BAZELEY.

DISQLAIMEYR 2,097,173.Arthur J. Bazeley, Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Disclaimer filed asslgnee, Nattonal Malleable and Hereby disclaims from the claim of except one which is benda dated October 26, 1937.

closure means des1gnated A-A and BB in lin CLOSURE MEANS. Patent December 31, 1937, by the Steel Castings Company.

the above identified Letters Patent any 36 f blle a10121g intersecting axes, such as those e o co umn through spaces between the projections and ribs i [Qfiicial Gazette January 25, 1988.]

e 1, of said patent, extending 

